It’s 1993.  There is a peace agreement in the Middle East.  Terrorists attack the World Trade Center.  David Koresh is brainwashing people down in Waco, Texas.  Eighteen American soldiers, members of the UN Peace Keeping Forces are shot down by Somali rebels.  Janet Jackson is singing, “That’s the Way Love Goes.”  Both Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern have top-selling books.  Seinfeld is still on tv and Schindler’s List wins the Oscar for Best Picture.  Nelson Mandela receives the Nobel Peace Prize.  The Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl.  Jurassic Park is the top grossing film of the year.  But millions of women fell in love with one lovelorn widow, a clever child, talk show radio, one woman searching for romance, and a houseboat. 

The hugely popular romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle skyrocketed the city’s popularity to something beyond Microsoft and Boeing.  Women began to believe that the city was populated with tender hearted widows and romantic vistas on the water.  In truth, there are about 450 of the infamous houseboats scattered around the city; most of which offer spectacular views of the skyline. 

Situated on Seattle’s Lake Union you can find several communities of quaint houseboats; which are more like floating homes than they are boats.  There are no motors equipped, although most of the homes have smaller tender boats in which you can take a scenic ride out into the lake. 

These last two months I have been lucky enough to live just a block from the infamous Sleepless in Seattle houseboat.  During that time I have lingered at the entrances to the dock, wishing that I could stroll along and peep into the windows.  These homes are small and unique, not just in their ability to float but also in their facades.  Each one is different in their own right and each of them share one common denominator:  they are worth a lot of money.

The Sleepless in Seattle home has recently found itself on the market.  After being such a popular tourist attraction for so many years the lack of privacy and the note of popularity would become too much for almost anyone calling it home.  Thus the home could be yours for the quaint asking price of 2.5 million dollars.

Personally, I dream of owning one of these homes.  And yet I am humble enough to acknowledge that I simply don’t have that much money lying around!  But…a dream is still a dream!